1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of computer hardware and software technologies and more particularly related to computer hard disk drive back-up and recovery systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of the significant problems many computer users are facing today is the loss of time and loss of data due to computer hard disk drive (HDD) failure. The majority of HDD failures are caused by HDD corruption, which in turn may be caused by HDD over-full, viruses intrusion, human error in HDD configuration, mistakes or incompatibility in new software installation, or electrical or mechanical malfunction. When a HDD failure occurs, there is often no back-up system which can be used to restore and recover the HDD. In addition, it is often very difficult and time consuming to recover the computer software operating system (OS) on the computer and restore all the data. For example, even with an existing back-up system, the user often must rebuild the OS on the drive before the data can be restored. Rebuilding the OS on a HDD can take up to an hour, and restoring all contents on a HDD can take anywhere from 1 to 8 hours depending on the size of the HDD. This long down time is often unacceptable as today""s computer systems must be operational all the time to avoid the loss of revenue and customer good will.
Many efforts have been made to design and develop methods and system for protection of the operating system (OS) and important data on a HDD from virus intrusion and other attacks, and for quick recovery of the contents of a HDD in case of a failure. The following eight (8) references are believed to be pertinent to this field of art:
1. U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,845 issued to Beal et al. on Oct. 13, 1992 for xe2x80x9cData Storage System For Providing Redundant Copies Of Data On Different Disk Drivesxe2x80x9d (hereafter xe2x80x9cBealxe2x80x9d);
2. U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,301 issued to Cheney et al. on Jul. 26, 1994 for xe2x80x9cData Transfer Bus System And Method Serving Multiple Parallel Asynchronous Unitsxe2x80x9d (hereafter xe2x80x9cCheneyxe2x80x9d);
3. U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,450 issued to Shieh on Apr. 11, 1995 for xe2x80x9cPortable Hard Disk Drive Connector With A Parallel (Printer) Port Control Boardxe2x80x9d (hereafter xe2x80x9cShiehxe2x80x9d);
4. U.S. Pat. No. 5,777,811 issued to Bodo on Jul. 7, 1998 for xe2x80x9cDigital Data Duplicating Systemxe2x80x9d (hereafter xe2x80x9cBodoxe2x80x9d);
5. U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,551 issued to Huggins et al. on Apr. 13, 1999 for xe2x80x9cSingle Computer System Having Multiple Security Levelsxe2x80x9d (hereafter xe2x80x9cHugginsxe2x80x9d);
6. U.S. Pat. No. 5,928,341 issued to Liang on Jul. 27, 1999 for xe2x80x9cDynamic Printer-Port Switcher For Selectively Connecting At Least Two Peripheral Devices To A PC Having A Printer Portxe2x80x9d (hereafter xe2x80x9cLiangxe2x80x9d);
7. U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,618 issued to Weber on May 23, 2000 for xe2x80x9cMultiple Operating System And Disparate User Mass Storage Resource Separation For A Computer Systemxe2x80x9d (hereafter xe2x80x9cWeberxe2x80x9d); and
8. WIPO International Publication No. WO 01/02936 A1 for PCT Application by Peterson for xe2x80x9cComputer Security System with Dedicated Hard Drivesxe2x80x9d (hereafter xe2x80x9cPetersonxe2x80x9d).
Beal disclosed a disk storage system that writes multiple copies of records directed to user-specified volumes. The system includes a multiplicity of control units interconnected by direct data links, and a multiplicity of corresponding sets of recording means communicate over the direct data links when a write request is received by one control unit to cause one volume in each set of recording means to write a copy of the received record.
Cheney disclosed a system and method for transferring data between a single channel unit and multiple asynchronous storage devices. The system utilizes read strobe signals to indicate when the storage devices will send data over a data bus, and initiate a validity count-down which in turn indicates when the data on the data bus is valid, as the data on the data bus is sampled when the count-down has completed. The system may further includes means for checking the data for array parity errors while the data is sent and received to and from the storage devices.
Shieh disclosed a portable hard disk connector with a parallel/printer port control board. The connector includes a case which has an upper cover and a lower cover engaged with the upper cover. The control board is fixedly fitted in the lower cover and has a parallel/printer port interface input connector, a parallel/printer port output connector, and two hard disk drive connectors. The connectors are partly protruding out of the case. A switch is mounted on the control board and partly protruding out of the case. There is also a female connector for connecting a hard disk drive connected with the rear side of case. A 1.8xe2x80x3 hard disk drive can be fitted in the case and connected with the female connector. Furthermore, the hard disk drive connectors can be externally connected with one to two hard disk drives as desired. The switch is used for adjusting the principal and secondary relationship between the hard disk drives when the connector is connected with an external hard disk drive.
Bodo disclosed a data-duplicating system for copying digital data between information storage device that occupies a mounting space sized to receive a standard 5 xc2xc inch, half-height hard disk drive. The system includes different types of information-storage-device connectors adapted for coupling to the data-duplicating system information storage devices that conform to various disparate, incompatible interface specifications. The electronic circuit of the system includes a digital logic circuit for reading digital data from a first information storage device and writing the read digital data to one or more other information storage devices. It utilizes a high-speed serial-port which permits coupling together a pair of data-duplicating systems. It also has a plurality of switches and a liquid crystal display for an operator to control the system.
Huggins disclosed a single computer system with multiple security levels which allows a user to switch between two or more networks without transferring data between the networks. The single computer system is a standard computer which includes a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to a random access memory (RAM), a power supply and a reset switch. The computer is coupled to two or more network cards, where each of the cards is in turn connected to a separate storage device such as a hard disk drive. Each combination of a network card connected to a storage device constitutes a local network. As in a standard computer, activating the reset switch reboots the CPU and clears the RAM. A user can choose between the local networks by using a selection switch which may be a rotary switch, a rocker switch, or a push button switch, which activates one of the local networks or the reset switch. The selection switch is constructed so that it is impossible to switch between two local networks without first activating the reset switch, thereby preventing data from being transferred between the local networks. By preventing the transfer of data between the local networks, each network can have a different level of security.
Liang disclosed a dynamic printer-port switcher (DPS) for selectively connecting, through software control, two or more peripheral devices to a personal computer (PC) having a printer port. The DPS includes a printer-port connector for connecting the DPS to a printer port on the PC, two or more peripheral connectors for connecting the DPS to multiple peripheral devices, such as printers, PC cameras, scanners, external CD-ROM drives, and external hard disk drives. The DPS also includes two or more switching circuits which are under control by a control circuit to selectively connect the PC to one of the connected peripheral devices.
Weber disclosed an apparatus for providing multiple operating system and hard disk drive separation on a single computer. The computer system can have several nonconcurrently active hard disk drives each ordinarily loaded with unique software bundles. Each active hard drive, when selected, can introduce an especial operating system setup and applications installation, and other hard disk drives are unconditionally denied access by activities obtained under the selected hard disk drive""s software instructions. The apparatus isolates two or more user""s application programs and data files, while allowing the hard disk drives to share common computer system hardware and peripherals. As a result, each hard disk drive and the operating system stored thereon can be used independently.
Peterson disclosed a computer security system with two dedicated hard disk drives, where one hard drive may be used for the Internet and communication software and the other may be used for private and confidential information. A user may select and access a particular hard disk drive while the other hard disk drive is not selected.
While many of the above cited references have described various methods and systems for handling and operating multiple HDDs, there is a need for providing a simple and reliable method and apparatus for quick back-up of the OS and data on a working HDD to a back-up HDD, constant protection of the back-up HDD during normal operation of the working HDD, and one-step quick recovery of the OS and data in case of a failure in the working HDD.
The present invention is directed to a method of and apparatus for computer hard disk drive (HDD) protection and recovery.
In one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the HDD protection and recovery apparatus utilizes a HDD controller board installed between a computer system and two HDDs, where the first HDD is a normal operating or working HDD (hereafter referred to as xe2x80x9cHDD Axe2x80x9d), and the second HDD is used for back-up and recover purposes (hereafter referred to as xe2x80x9cHDD Bxe2x80x9d). The HDD protection and recovery apparatus also utilizes hardware switches electrically coupled to the controller board, including a HDD selection switch used for selecting either HDD A or HDD B (hereafter referred to as xe2x80x9cA-B Switchxe2x80x9d) and a copy command button used for one-step copying between the HDDs (hereafter referred to as the xe2x80x9cCopy Buttonxe2x80x9d).
When the present invention HDD protection and recovery apparatus is initially installed into the computer system, the first step is to switch the A-B switch to HDD A, and then press the Copy Button. This will initiate the first-time image back-up process which copies all the contents on HDD A to HDD B, thereby creates an image back-up of HDD A in HDD B.
The next step is that for normal operation of the computer system, the A-B Switch remains switched to HDD A, and as a result, HDD B is switched off and remains transparent to the computer system. Since the A-B switch is a hardware switch, the non-selected HDD is isolated from the normal operating system on the computer and therefore, is protected from software viruses and other intrusions.
When there is a failure of HDD A, with a simple flip of the A-B Switch from HDD A to HDD B, HDD B can be instantly used as a normal working hard disk drive with the computer system and the system can be up and running without interruption from the failure of HDD A.
Once HDD A is fixed or replaced, all contents on HDD B can be copied back to HDD A by simply press the Copy Button while the A-B Switch is left at HDD B selection, to restore HDD A such that all contents are recovered. Once this recovery process is completed, the A-B Switch can be switched back to HDD A, which allows HDD A to be used as a normal working HDD again.
In a basic embodiment of the present invention, the HDD controller board may be controlled by special computer software installed and running on the computer system.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the HDD controller board may include a hardware sequencer that accelerates the copying process.
In a further alternative embodiment of the present invention, the HDD controller board may include its own central processing unit (CPU) which runs the special computer software program for controlling the HDD controller board to perform data duplication process.
In still another embodiment of your invention, drive A and drive B may be logical drives on the same HDD.
In still another embodiment of your invention, the control logics may be embedded on electronic chips or circuits on the motherboard of the computer system.
In still another embodiment of your invention, the control logics may be embedded on electronic chips or circuits on the primary HDD A or on the added second HDD B.
One important novel and unique feature of the present invention is the use of a hardware switch which shields the HDD B from software viruses that may invade on the working HDD A. Another important novel and unique feature of the present invention is the one-step copying process between the HDDs which allows instant back-up and instant recovery when there is a failure in the working HDD A. An important advantage of the present invention arrangement is that after the initial imaging process which copies all contents of the working HDD A to the added second HDD B, the copied contents on the second HDD B can be immediately checked and verified by switching the A-B Switch to HDD B and running the computer system with HDD B.
Further novel features and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, discussion and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the drawings.